Product design - Softcover

When designers create and develop new or improved products, their designing method is based on a trial and error processes. In the course of the design process, the designer will generate solutions without the guarantee that these will work. By testing the solution, designers experiment ('trial'). However, sometimes, the idea does not work ('error'). When the idea does look viable, the designer is one step closer to the goal. This book provides insight into the design process and offers a manual for product design with a minimum of errors. Among others, the following topics will be discussed: formulation of the product idea, systematic approach of the design process, requirement definition, market research, functionality and meaning, form and color, usage research, ergonomics, techniques for finding innovative solutions, intellectual property, presentation, and reporting. Product Design is based on theoretical knowledge developed at the University of Twente, as well as on the authors' practical experience. The book will be useful for students of industrial design and industrial product development. Moreover, Product Design offers interesting insights for marketing managers, product managers, industrial design engineers, and market researchers who are directly or indirectly involved in the development of (industrial) products.

Designers solve problems. Ideas and problems change, however, and new techniques and materials are invented, new production methods are developed. Designing is a process of trial and error. During the development process, designers will think up solutions or part solutions for the problems that they have been presented with. They do not know if this solution will work. Therefore, they will try out their solution, for instance using a test model or a scale model: trial. Sometimes, the solution will prove not to work: error. Sometimes the solution will work, and in that case the designer had brought his result one step closer. This book gives insight into the designprocess and provides a manual for product design with as less errors as possible. A few of the described phases are: formulating the product idea, systematic approach of the design process, market research, the (technical) concept and ergonomics.